


Literae Naturae

by juliannos



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe, Beauty and the Beast AU, F/M, Kinda, Post-Time Skip, Shapeshifting, angry!dimitri, somewhat feral dimitri, unbetaed - we die like men, weird magic stuff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-26
Updated: 2019-08-26
Packaged: 2020-10-01 20:30:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20396314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/juliannos/pseuds/juliannos
Summary: Byleth wanted more from her life than to be a mercenary - something quiet and routine. But when her father goes missing, she finds herself facing a fairy tale from Adrestian fables: the Lion of the North. Or, that is what he appears to be. In exchange for her father’s freedom, she agrees to live in his castle forever, becoming another soul forever bound to it’s walls. But, there is more to the castle and it’s inhabitants than what is on the surface and Byleth finds herself determined to find out what.





	Literae Naturae

_Chronicles VXI, Part IV - A Brief Account of Imperial Conquest_  
Kept by the Scholars of the Church of Serios

Fodlan is a land plagued by war and uncertainty. For the past ten years several powers have waged epic battles in a effort to take control the continent. From these battles, the Adrestian Empire eventually controlled all, it’s influence exerted across the lands. But, in spite of their victory, many still fought against them and they tyrannical rule.

The former Kingdom of Faerghus housed many of these outlaws, still loyal to their dethroned prince. The Prince led his people from battle to battle, gaining little, but strategically precious, land and strongholds. But, at the Battle of Galatea, a great calamity occurred leaving the Prince and many of his followers missing, seemingly vanished from the battlefield. This sudden disappearance left many rebels of the Empire fearful and they retreated into hiding.

For the moment, the Empire is concentrated on suppressing the noble uprising in Deirdru, leaving the former territory of Faerghus to it’s own devices. It is our hope that Fodlan will one day return to more peaceful times. But the Empire is determined to gain absolute control, so for as long as others oppose them, war will be a constant companion to the people. May Serios give us all strength.

* * *

It was quiet in the forest, and quiet was an increasingly rare state for Byleth. So, when she had the opportunity to take it, she did. Having left the camp a few hours previously, she reveled in the soft sounds of wind through the trees and chirps of the birds that occupied the trees above their head. The thing about quiet was that it signified calm. A time away from battlefields and strategy and the loud clang of metal against metal. The world was just allowed to be as it was instead of a struggle for supremacy.

Byleth picked at the grass next to her, slowly tearing it into smaller pieces as she gazed into the horizon, her breath coming out in white clouds in front of her. She sat on a hill overlooking a small stream, the setting sun warming her face. She watched as the water slowly meandered it’s way through the rocks and logs, painting the land around it a welcome dark brown.

Oh, to stay here forever. It would be so… peaceful to just leave the mercenaries behind and continues on her own. But, then she would have leave her father and he would never agree to leave his merry band of men without their leader. Byleth sighed at the thought of returning to the camp. It wasn’t that the mercenaries were bad people - in fact, she found most of them were warm and understanding. After all, they all had reasons why there were in that line of work in the first place. Some where seeking fortunes to support their families, others had no family left due the wars that had ravaged the continent for a near decade. Many had even taken the time to teach Byleth their skills in combat, and she owed her talent in most martial areas to the ragtag bunch.

The gang held a special place in her heart, no doubt. It was everything else about being a mercenary that was being to tire her. The constant moving from place to place, the need to be alert at almost every second of the day lest someone catch them off guard, working with nobles with devious reputations simply because they need the coin, having nothing but the few things they could carry… Byleth sighed and massaged her temples.

She had been having these thoughts more and more lately. Dwelling on them would change nothing. No matter how much she wished to leave and make a more stable, less dangerous life there would always be one thing keeping them from leaving - their father. Her only family left in this war-torn place. Maybe one day she would be able to have the peaceful life she wished for, but as long as their father continued to lead their group and they could still make a profit fighting for gold, Byleth was stuck. So, no use thinking about what they wish she had. Best to concentrate on the present situation.

Sighing, she laid back onto the ground, feeling the cold earth seep through her heavy cloak. Watching the clouds move above lazily, she wondered how much time she would have left before someone came looking. Her body relaxed as the sun began to warm her, in spite the chill in the air around her. Her muscles began to relax and her eyes closed as the heavy weight of sleep began to press against her.

She wasn’t sure if she actually managed to fall asleep or not for the next moment they can remember, a loud shout came from the trees behind them.

“Byleth!” it called, sounding deep and gruff with an accompaniment of brush being push aside hastily. “Byleth, damn it, where are you?!”

Recognizing the voice as Alwyn, one of her father’s lieutenants (as much as mercenaries had lieutenants, anyway), Byleth jumped to her feet and placed a cautionary hand on her sword. “Alwyn?” she called, still hearing the rustle of brush being shoved around.

“There you fucking are,” he said, finally clearing the trees and seeing her. He heaved a sigh, his bushy grey beard dotted with leaves and small twigs, and marched straight over to her. “Why are you all the way out here?”

“I was trying to -”

“Honestly, it doesn’t matter. We need to return to camp,” he said, cutting Byleth off before she could explain.

“Why?” Byleth asked, finally getting at good look at the man. Despite his rude nature, she could see that something was worrying him based on the deep lines etched between his brows. “What’s wrong, Alwyn?”

“I…” he started and then stopped. “I’ll explain once we’re back to camp.” He clapped a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it slightly, as if trying to comfort her.

“Alwyn, tell me,” she said, rooting their feet to the ground.

The man sighed, dropping his hand from her shoulder and instead taking a moment to rub his face tiredly. There was a long moment of silence before he spoke again.

“It’s your old man, Byleth,” he finally said. “He’s been taken.”

* * *

She stared at the map laid out of the table. Her father… captured. It seemed like an impossibility - her father was nothing but strong and confident. He’d never let himself be taken willingly. She couldn’t understand how this happened. Sinking into the chair next to her, Byleth buried her head in her hands and tried to calm her racing thoughts. She needed a plan and for that she needed to understand what Alwyn had told her.

So, she decided to think about this as methodically as she could. So, start from the beginning.

This morning he and several of the others in the camp gathered their supplies to go for a hunt. They had been camping in the foothills of the mountains in Galatea for several days and the upcoming frost was making it more difficult to forage for the roots and berries that normally supplemented their supplies. So, her father and his small band set out to find what they could. After that, they did not hear from them for several hours. Not unexpected, as the tracking could lead them a ways from their camp and they may have taken a detour to gather other necessary supplies.

It was while she was away that one of his party returned, ramblings about dark woods and man-sized wolves. It was only after they managed to calm the man down that he finally blurted out that Jeralt had been taken and the other 2 men at scattered. It was then Alwyn was sent to find her and escort her back to the camp.

The poor man, she thought. Fynn was fairly new to the group and eager to prove himself to them. It was why he had volunteered to venture into the wilderness with her father in the first place. But, whatever had happened in those woods had left him frantic and scared. None of them could understand his ramblings and he was in no place to explain himself more fully.. So, here Byleth was, waiting for this hysterical man to calm down long enough to make some damn sense.

She could feel her temper rising. She did her best to keep it at bay, knowing it was no good to get angry at the one man who could tell her something. He needed time to rest, after all, for whatever had happened had clearly been traumatizing, which was a feat for a mercenary. And now, not only did they need to find her father, they also had two other men missing in the wilderness, though they had no idea how far away from the camp the party was when they were attacked. Her head was beginning to pound.  
All of this was complicated by the fact that it was now night. There was little hope of waging an effective search with no light and she had no experience with this part of the continent to guide the men. The best she could do was station sentries to watch throughout the night and hope that one of them could find their way back.

But all this left her with little to make an effective plan of finding her father. Curse him, and curse this place! She warned him not to go into Faerghus territory. This place was filled with either Imperial sycophants or wild rebels, each vying to control lands they themselves would never be forced to work. And beyond that, winter was beginning to make itself known and the northern territories were known for it’s harsh winters. But, her father had a lead with a former noble of some standing in the region and had dragged them all north.

And look were it got them. She exhaled nosily through her nose, the rage returning once more. She pushed herself on to her feet and began pacing. She told him to slow down, and yet again he ignored her. He needed to start accepting that she wasn’t a child anymore and that if he was going drag her all over, she was going to make her opinions known. She felt her hands beginning to ache from the force she clenched them with and could feel her nails making a deep imprint into her palm.

Taking a deep breath, she made a conscious effort to relax her tense muscles. She could be angry later, when Jeralt was back in front of her, but now she needed to focus and come up with a way to save him. Best to save her energy for finding her father. There would be time for yelling at him later.

She slumped back into the chair and buried her face into her hands. She wanted something, anything, to do. But all there was to occupy her was waiting and hoping that another one of the hunting party returns, whether that be her father or someone else. The best she could right now was rest and take her shift on the sentry rotation. Gathering herself, she forced herself to her feet and moved towards her bedroll within the tent. It would be strange to sleep with the accompaniment of her father’s snores, but she would at least try.

Perhaps good news would be found in the morning.

* * *

News came before morning arrived. In the midst of a fitful sleep, Byleth felt a rough hand grab her shoulder. Before she could think, she grabbed the hand and twisted, causing it’s owner to yelp in pain.

“Ow, fuck!” the voice said, and Byleth realized that it was just Alwyn. “Damn, you have a strong grip.”

“Sorry,” she replied, letting go of his hand. “You should know better than to wake any of us up out of a dead sleep.”

“I do, but,” he started, pulling her to his feet. “Alix’s back. And she has some news about your dad.”

Byleth was fully awake now. “When did she get back?” she asked, pulling on her boots and grabbed her cloak.

“Less than a hour ago,” Alwyn replied. “Had to get her warmed up so her teeth would stop chatterin’ first, but we didn’t want to talk to ‘em without you there.”

“Well, let’s go,” she said, swinging her cloak over her shoulders.

He nodded and started out of the tent, leading her over to what served as the mess tent. Inside, she could see several of the other mercenaries sitting around Alix. The woman herself was bundled up in several blankets and holding a cup of something warm. She took a deep breath and willed herself to be patient.

“Alix,” Alwyn greeted, nearly grunting at the woman. “You feel up to talkin’?”

“As much as I’ll ever be,” she said, eying Byleth cautiously. She stared at the other woman, schooling her face into as blank of an expression as possible. Her uneasiness left Byleth feeling apprehensive, but she didn’t want her to know that.

“Take your time,” she said, being kinder than she felt. If her father was lost in the woods, there was very little time to find him for the cold got to him, especially if he didn’t know the land. “Just start from the beginning.”

The mercenary sighed and stared down into their mug. After a long moment of silence, she opened her mouth to speak.

“I don’t know how this happened,” she said, rubbing her thumb against the metal of the mug. “We were just tracking a deer - had been for a over an hour. It looked like just normal forest, same as any of the other parts we’d walked through.”

“Was it not normal?” Byleth asked, confused.

“No, not at all,” she replied. “It was small things at first, stuff you’d see out of the corner of your eye. Mainly thought it was just the light playing tricks on me because of all the snow.”

“There was snow there?” Byleth asked. “But, the first snow hasn’t come in yet.”

Alix shrugged. “It didn’t seem weird at the time. We were getting closer to the mountains and they always seem to have snow on them.”

Byleth looked skeptical but motioned for her to continue her story. “Anyway, as we were walking the trees started getting thicker, and it was getting darker. It almost looked like night had come early. It was weird and it felt like… it was pressing on us. Whatever was happening, it wasn’t normal. I started to ask if we should head back, but Jeralt stopped us and told us to hide. I think he knew something was coming, even though I didn’t really see anything.”

“I don’t think we moved fast enough though,” she paused, continuing to stare into the mug in her hands. “I heard the others run into the brush, but I was so confused and I didn’t want to leave the captain behind. But then I saw it.”

Byleth looked away from Alix and towards the others around her. They appeared to be as confused as she was. “It?” she questioned.

“Well, I only saw a blur, really,” Alix said defensively. “A lot happened! I was telling Jeralt we should just leave and then this giant creature appear from the forest!”

Now Byleth was paying close attention. “What happened? Where is my father?”

“I don’t know,” she countered, snapping her gaze to Byleth. “All I know is that this… thing appeared and attempted to grab at the captain. He held it off and told the rest of us to run.”

“Did none of you help him?” Byleth asked, anger in her voice. “You all just left him to the mercy of this strange beast? Are you not fighters? Do you not care?” It was only when she felt a hand on her shoulder did she realize she was beginning to rise in her seat. Taking a deep breath, she dropped back into her chair. “What else did you see?”

Alix had returned her gaze to her mug. “Like I said, it mostly a blur. Once I saw the creature attack him, I just turned and ran. I wasn’t even sure where I was going, I just… needed to get away.”

“Could you show us where you went?” Byleth asked.

“I mean, sure,” she said. “But, I… I don’t think there’s going to be anyone to find.”

“We’ll never know unless we check,” she countered. “And we should probably know where not to go in the future.”

Alix nodded slowly, not really sure if she believed the other woman. “Um, it’s going to be easier if I see the map…”

Byleth nodded and stood, a plan already formulating in her head. She didn’t care that there was - apparently - a monster living in the foothills of the mountains. She didn’t care that Alwyn would likely forbid her from searching for her father. She was going to find him and there was nothing that would stop her.

* * *

The leaves crunched under her feet as she made her way through the forest. No doubt the others realized she was gone now. They knew where she was going. She could only hope she got enough of a head start that they wouldn’t be able to catch her. Or maybe they’re too scared to follow her. She had noticed the others were visibly uncomfortable with the idea of a rescue mission and made little effort to discuss one. She wasn’t sure what scared them more: a spooky forest or a mysterious beast. Neither phased Byleth. She was determined to find her father, no matter what had become of him. 

She had already been walking for over an hour and knew she had at least one more, if she was following Alix’s directions right. But even so, she could feel the air around her getting colder and she was starting to see small snow embankments under clusters of dense trees.

She was enjoying the hike she realized, in spite of the reasons she was out here in the first place. The methodical crush through the brush, the weight of her pack, the quiet sounds of wildlife around her. Perhaps she had been spending too much time in close quarters with so many other people she forgot how important it was for her to simply exist with herself.

But it was more than that. She felt she had a purpose. And not just any purpose thrust upon her by nobles who paid them - a purpose she chose and one she believed in. To have her goals decided by her was a luxury she didn’t realize she wanted and now that she had it… well, she would think about that later. Finding her father was more important right now.

As she walked further, it slowly was becoming dark. At first she thought it was merely the sun setting for the day, but she she had left the camp before the sun had even risen. It was not possible that the day had completely passed yet, but the forest in front of her seemed to be heavy with the evening gloom. Something else was causing the darkness to appear, she was sure, but she had no idea what.

Pressing forward, she walked further into the darkening forest until the only light left was an eerie gray haze that occasionally filtered through the trees. She had to be getting close to the place that her father was attacked. She could almost feel it, with the tension beginning to creep in her body. She shifted her pack, and grasped the sword at her hip, her eyes scanning the forest in front of her. She would not be surprised as the others had been and, if she as attacked, she intended to fight.  
Her steps had slowed as she walked cautiously, each foot placed firmly on the group before another step was taken. Each step cause her heart to leap into her throat, wary that something, or someone, would appear from the forest shadows and attack. But nothing ever happened. She just continued to walk, ever vigilant, and it became darker and darker

Soon the only thing she could see was the breath in front of her face, the sunlight long gone. And still she walked. Byleth knew that this was far beyond what Alix and the others had experienced. There was no guide and no hints as to what she would find. Doubt began to needle into her mind - she wouldn’t be able to find her father, she would be lost in this endless dark forest and die exposure, that no one would ever know what happened. But her mind pushed away those doubt and pushed her body forward. She had come so far already and she wouldn’t stop now. She couldn’t stop now.

It was in the midst of these thoughts that the trees began to clear. The sky was dark now, with pinpricks of lights dotting the dark sea. It was colder now, and she was unsure if that was due to nightfall or because of other, stranger, reasons. Somehow entering into the clearing made her feel even more on edge than what she felt in the forest. She would see any enemy long before they would attack her, but she still couldn’t shake a feeling of being watched.

But she continued to walk, each step matching the pounding in her heart as she walked towards… something. There had to be something, after all. As if to answer her question, a large shape began to appear in the distance. She squinted, attempting to get a better look. Was it a… castle? She walked closer and started to see lit sconces lighting a few of the battlements. Other features became apparent she moved towards it. A large wooden door, the deep gray stones, and soon movement from one of the windows. There was someone inside. And if someone lived in this strangely placed castle, maybe they knew something about her father. She felt the hope that had left her begin to return and she broke into a run, barreling towards the entrance.

She came upon the entrance quickly and dropped her pack on the ground next to her. Taking a deep breath, she raised her fist and pounded on the door. “Hello?” she called, her voice echoing in the clearing around her. “Hello? I am looking for someone and I thought —”

She never finished her sentence as the heavy wooden door in front of her swung open with a heavy creak. Peering through the door, she saw a long entrance hall. It was probably once quite magnificent, but now the heavy tapestries that covered the walls were covered in dust and cobwebs were strung between the chandeliers that hung from the ceiling. What she didn’t see, however, was a person who could have opened the door.

Logically, she shouldn’t enter into an unknown castle through a door that opened due to unknown reasons. But logical was not a strong force in her mind at the moment. The cold was biting through her cloak and her face had become numb. At least being inside meant she wouldn’t freeze to death. She picked her pack and drug it through the door, gazing around at the abandoned entryway.

She wandered through the room for a few moments, reaching a hand out to brush against one of the wooden molding that ran around the room and picking up quite a bit of dust in the process. A piece of flooring caught against her shoe and skittered across the floor, causing her too gasp softly at the sound. She chastised herself for being startled. There was nothing here worth being afraid of. She chuckled to herself, taking a deep breath to calm herself. What a warrior she was, she thought wryly. Whatever happened, she could handle it. The wind probably pushed the door opened, she reasoned, and whoever owned this place was probably asleep. She would just need to —

As she continued to examine the room, a door next to her slowly creaked open, leading deeper into the castle. The wind couldn’t have opened that, she thought, peering through the frame. It was dark, but it appeared to lead to an lower level of the castle. “Hello?” she called out, hoping to see someone. But no one came. Feeling apprehensive, she slowly made her way through the door and down the stairs, keeping a steadying hand against the wall. The stairs lead her down in a spiral and Byleth felt has she had been descending for hours when she stepped on the landing. As she continued, she began to make out small rooms all covered in metal bars. The dungeon, she reasoned and pushed in. After a moment, a loud cough broke through the silence and she jumped, immediately reaching for the sword at her hip.

“Who’s there?” she called, her voice much stronger than she felt.

There was another cough before she heard it. “Byleth?”

She felt her heart stop. “Father?” she said, her feet carrying her forward. “Father, what are you doing here?”

“Well, I didn’t plan on it,” he said, his dry humor creeping into his voice. He sounded tired and ill, he voice scratchy with disuse.

As she neared his cell, she kneeled down and reached through the bars to grasp at his hand. “We need to get you out of here,” she said. His hand was heavy in her own and clammy to the touch. “You’re obviously not well.”

“I don’t think that’s going to happen,” he replied, coughing again. “Unless you can now break iron bars with your bare hands.”

“Don’t think I won’t” she said, determination in her voice.

He laughed. “You always were incredibly stubborn,” he said. “Byleth, you need to leave. Leave this place.”

“What?” she asked. “I just found you, I’m not about to leave you to die in a cell.”

“You can’t help me,” he said and shuffled forward to look into her eyes. “We… I… made a mistake coming into this place. There’s something deeply wrong here. I didn’t listen to my instincts. And now myself and the others are paying for it.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, confused. “Yes this castle and the forest are a bit… odd, but nothing out of the ordinary. And there’s no reason to force yourself to stay here to punish yourself for whatever sin you think you committed.” She let go of his hand and began to examine the gate keeping him locked up. It seemed like a normal padlock, at least in the dim light.

“I’m not keeping myself locked up here,” he said, “Trust me. I would love nothing more than to leave this place.”

“Then stop all your nonsense,” she said, pulled a lock pick set of out her pack and began to work on the lock.

“Byleth,” he warned. “I am a prisoner.”

“Perhaps,” she agreed. “But prisoners can be freed.” She continued to work on the padlock, attempting to feel the tumblers inside.

“I should know better than to reason with you,” he sighed, slumping against one of the walls. “You have always been very hardheaded.”

“And yet you always do,” she chuckled. They fell into silence as Byleth worked, but she was finding this lock to be very challenging. The tumblers inside were arranged in a weird pattern and seemed to change as she worked through them. “This lock is… very strange.”

“This whole place is strange,” her father murmured.

“Just a few more…” she muttered, mainly to herself.

It was then they heard a loud slam coming from the stairs she descending not too long ago. Byleth turned to look as she heard heavy steps echo on the stone around them. “What is…?”

“Byleth, hide!” her father hissed.

“What?”

“Go!"

But she was slow on her feet, her mind not processing what her father was telling her.

“Well, well,” a new voice said. She turned to see a hulking figure at the foot of the stairs. “What do we have here?” The figure’s voice was slow, as if each word was carefully thought about before spoken.

“Byleth,” her father whispered. “Don’t be stupid.”

She stood, slipping her lock pick into her pocket as she did. “What we have here is a sick man that needs medical care,” she responded, hoping her voice didn’t sound as nervous as she felt. “And who are you?”

“I am the lord of this castle,” the figure replied as it walked forward. It was when he stepped into the light, Byleth was finally able to see him - he was tall man, wearing black armor and a heavy cloak made out a large animal. His face was pale, his hair blond, and a black eyepatch covering one scarred eye. “And it appears you are trespassing.”

“I am only here to take my father home,” she replied, squaring her shoulders. “I should ask why he is being held in a drafty prison cell when he is obviously unwell.”

“Because he is a thief, on top of trespassing,” the man replied. “So I placed him in the dungeon, where criminals belong.”

Byleth wanted to argue with this man but knew it would do little to sway him. So instead, she tried pleading. “Sir,” she said, her voice turning plaintive. “Please, my father is ill and needs care. We did not know that this castle was here, otherwise we wouldn’t have come near. Grant us clemency and we shall leave you to yours.”

The man was silent for a moment before he leaned over gazed at her closely. She wanted to back away, to punch him for invading her space, something… but she let him stare, her chin rising in defiance. She thought she saw him smirk at her for moment, but it was gone before she was certain. “No,” he finally replied. “I don’t think so.”

“No?” she echoed, anger now creeping into her voice. “We have done nothing wrong! I only wish to-”

“I care not for your wishes,” he said, waving a hand to dismiss her words. “I am granting you clemency enough by allowing you to leave this place. The man will stay.”

“What? Why?” she asked. “If I have committed the same crime as him, then why am I allowed to be go free?”

“Because it is my will,” he answered, the voice coming out of gritted teeth. She felt she was beginning to try his patience.

“Then…” she said, her voice faltering. If someone much be punished… “Let me take his place.”

It was the man’s turn to be confused. “I’m sorry?”

“Allow him to go free and I will stay here in his stead,” she said, staring up at him. “You seem to want someone to be punished. I will take both of our punishments, if he is free to leave.”

There was another long silence. “You would agree to stay here for an undetermined amount time, if I allowed the old man to go free.”

She wasn’t pleased with these terms but she didn’t have much to bargain with to begin with. “Yes,” she whispered.

“Why?” he asked, his voice low and dangerous.

“He’s the only family I have,” she responded, her eyes beginning to water. She took a moment to compose herself, unwilling to cry in front of this brutish stranger. “I cannot just stand by and do nothing.”

They stared at each other for a long moment, before the man raised a hand and gestured to someone behind him. “Free him,” he said. Behind him, another man appeared. He was of a darker complexion and carried several weapons on him, as well as a large key ring.

“Really?” she asked, her heart feeling lighter, watching as the door was unlocked and her father was brought out.

“Yes, he’s free. And you…” he trailed off, and turned his attention to his companion. “Dedue, take him to the edge of the forest and make sure he does not return.”

“Of course, my lord,” he replied, grasping Jeralt by his arms and lifting him to his feet.

“Wait…” Byleth said. “To the forest? But…”

“You only said to free him, not see him to safety,” the man replied, reaching over to grabbing her arm as well. “I am freeing him. It’s up to him to find safe harbor.”

“But that’s -”

“That was our deal. Now, come with me,” he said, and began pulling her towards the staircase.

“Wait, no!” she yelled, pulled her arm from his grasp. “That is murder and not what I meant!”

“It doesn’t matter what you meant,” he replied. “You made a deal: you would take his place as prisoner in this castle in exchange for his freedom. And that is what I have given you.”

Byleth shouldn’t have done it, but her rage and exhaustion kept her from thinking clearly. As he reached to grab for her again, she sidestepped him and placed a well aimed punch against his jaw. The sound it made was followed by a tense silence and her own heavy breathing. “How dare you,” she started, her teeth gritting in anger.

“How dare I?” he said quietly, rubbing the place where she had punch him. Before she could think, she found herself pinned to the floor and gazing up a snarling white lion, teeth barred to her. She felt herself recoil in horror. “You would do well to remember who is the lord of these lands. Next time, I will tear you limb from limb, no matter what deal we have made.” His voice was deeper, barely containing his anger.

Grabbing her once more, he dragged her to her feet and pushed her into the cage that once held her father. She watched as he stalked away, Dedue and her father behind him. She reached through the bars attempting to catch his hand one last time.

“Be safe, father,” she said, squeezing his hand. In a moment, they were pulled apart. She watched as he was dragged away, their steps becoming softer.

As she sank to the floor of her new home, she felt herself wonder “What have I done?”

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this thinking it would be a short thing... and the first chapter is over 5000 words. It's unbeta-ed so anything that's wrong will probably be fixed (eventually...). So, who know where this is going to go. If you'd like to see updates/yell at me you can find me on [tumblr](http://juliannos.tumblr.com), [dreamwidth](http://juliannos.dreamwidth.org), and [pillowfort ](https://www.pillowfort.social/juliannos)


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